Star Trek: Final Voyages
by CaptFredricks
Summary: These are the final voyages of the USS Enterprise-E under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. (covers the timespan between Star Trek Nemesis and Star Trek Online)
1. Zenith

**ZENITH  
**_Volume 1, chapter 1  
Word count: ?  
__Published: 7 May 2014  
__Stardate 56950.3 (12 July 2380)_

* * *

**A/N: I'm in the process of implementing much-needed and long overdue updates to episodes 1-3 to fix continuity, dialog, story flow, and grammatical errors, among other things.**

**Chapter 1 completion: 5% (as of 22 Mar. 2016)**

**A/N: This episode picks up just after the events of _Star Trek Nemesis_. I recommend watching the film before reading this to get a bit of context.**

* * *

Newly-promoted Captain William T. Riker took one last look around the bridge of the USS _Enterprise_-E before leaving for his new command, the USS _Titan_. As he headed for the turbolift, another officer exited onto the bridge.

"Hello, sir. I'm Commander Martin Madden," the officer introduced himself.

"You're the new first officer, I take it?" Will asked, extending a hand.

"Yes, sir," Martin replied, shaking Will's hand. "It's an honor, captain."

"Good to meet you. I'd better get going. Would hate to get left behind by my own crew."

"Uh, sir..." Martin hesitated. "I haven't met Captain Picard yet. What's he like?"

Will chuckled. "Well, he's not exactly a by-the-book type officer – he likes to keep things very casual with his senior staff. In fact, the best way to get on his good side is to call him Jean-Luc."

"Jean-Luc? Alright, thanks, sir," Martin said appreciatively.

"No problem, commander." He nodded. "Geordi," he said, waving to his good friend, Geordi La Forge, one last time before leaving.

"See you, comm – I mean – captain," Geordi replied, chuckling.

Commander Worf looked at Geordi in puzzlement at Will's 'advice' to Martin. "The captain does not 'keep things casual'," he mused.

"Commander Madden doesn't know that, though," Geordi responded with a smirk.

"Ah, I see. Captain Riker wished to fool him as a... practical joke."

"Exactly."

Just then, Captain Jean-Luc Picard exited his ready room.

Martin nervously made his way over to him. "I'm Commander Martin Madden, sir – the new first officer."

Jean-Luc extended a hand. "Welcome aboard, commander. I certainly hope your sudden transfer from the _Talos_ didn't catch you too much by surprise."

"Not at all, sir. I'm privileged to serve on the _Enterprise_."

"Well, as you can see, there is much work to be done before we can leave. I'd like you to join me in my quarters for dinner at nineteen hundred hours; we have much to discuss." Jean-Luc began heading for his chair.

"Sounds good... Jean-Luc..." Martin stuttered.

Jean-Luc stopped and turned around with a stern look on his face.

"Captain Riker was just pulling my leg, wasn't he?" Martin asked, embarrassed.

Jean-Luc turned back around, mouth forming a small grin. He took a look at his chair, which seemed different than the last time he sat in it.

"What's this?" he asked of Worf and a young ensign who were standing by the chair as he walked up.

"This, sir, is the Mark VII. It's got state-of-the-art ergonomics, command interfaces..." the ensign began.

"Captain, I told him that you were content using your old chair," Worf interrupted.

Jean-Luc looked it over for a moment. "Let's give it a try, shall we?" He sat down. "Well, it's... comfortable."

The ensign leaned down toward him. "Try this button, captain." He pointed to a button on the chair's armrest.

Jean-Luc pressed it, and a harness immediately strapped him down in the chair.

"Oh," he chuckled. "It's about time."

The ensign smiled confidently at Worf, who replied with a frown. Jean-Luc pressed the button and the harness disengaged.

"Thank you, gentlemen," he said, and the two walked away.

"Commander," Jean-Luc said, beckoning Martin over. "Our first assignment will be in the Denab system."

"Sounds good, captain. Have you been there before?" Martin asked.

"No. It's a place where..." he paused for a moment and grinned. "A place where no one has gone before."

* * *

_"Captain's log, stardate 56950.3. It has been six weeks since the Battle In the Bassen Rift, and while we have mostly recovered from our losses, we will never forget our old friends left behind. We are now proceeding to the Denab system for a routine survey mission."_

Picard and Madden are sitting in the captain's quarters, finishing up their meal.

"Thanks for the dinner, captain. It was good," Madden says.

"You're quite welcome, commander," Picard replies.

"I-I'm sorry about earlier today on the bridge, sir. I meant no disrespect..."

"Oh, it's quite alright, commander. Mr. Riker was partially correct—I am casual with the officers that I have come to know and trust. In time, I'm sure you will join them." Picard smiles.

"Thank you, sir. Oh, I almost forgot, the remaining unfilled officers' positions," Madden suddenly changes the subject, handing Picard a PADD.

"Operations manager, science officer and conn officer," Picard reads aloud. "I believe Mr. Data had recommended Miss Miranda Kadohata as his successor at ops," he remarks.

"Alright."

"Hmm..." Picard continues reading over the list of candidates for the other positions. "Joanna Faur served as a training pilot at the Academy."

"Sounds like a good choice for the conn."

"Indeed. Who do you think would make a good science officer?"

"May I recommend Dina Elfiki? She's received several commendations in physics and astrometrics, and I've met her personally. She's a fine officer."

"Hmm, yes. Her profile did stand out to me. Very well, commander. Inform them of their new assignments."

"Aye, sir. Thanks again for the dinner."

Picard nods. Madden leaves his quarters.

**...**

Joanna Faur meets Dina Elfiki in the corridor.

"Where you headed?" Elfiki asks.

"The senior staff meeting...you?" Faur responds.

"Same."

"So...I guess that means we're part of the senior staff now."

"Guess so," Elfiki smiles.

They enter a turbolift.

"Bridge," Elfiki tells the computer.

The turbolift begins to whir.

"How'd you get this assignment?" Faur asks, breaking a momentary silence.

"By Commander Madden's recommendation. He had confidence in me when nobody else did."

"Oh...I was sent here as a replacement helmsman in the event that something happened to the head conn officer. I was on a long list of names—I really don't know what made them pick me."

"I guess you're special. To be hand-picked for the position from a roster by none other than Jean-Luc Picard is a testament to your ability," Elfiki responds.

"Thanks. I hope I can live up to the hype," Faur replies.

The turbolift halts, and the doors open to the bridge. The duo proceeds to the staff conference in the officers' lounge. Picard, Madden, La Forge, Worf, Miranda Kadohata and Dr. Beverly Crusher are there waiting for them.

Picard spins around in his seat. "Ah, welcome, ladies. Please take a seat."

"Yes, sir." Faur nods.

They both take their seats.

"It's very nice to meet both of you," Crusher says, smiling.

"Nice to meet you too, doctor," Elfiki responds.

"Now, I understand you are skilled in physics and astrometric sciences, correct, Miss Elfiki?" Picard asks.

"Aye, captain."

"Good. It's been some time since the _Enterprise_ had a proper science officer, and I think you'll do quite well."

"Thank you, captain," she answers, smiling.

"And Miss Faur, you are an accomplished pilot, I take it?"

"Yes, sir. I served four years as a training pilot at Starfleet Academy," she responds.

"Very good. Now for our assignment—we have been sent to investigate the Denab system. It will be a routine exploratory survey. Miss Elfiki, as an astrometrics scientist, I'm sure you will quite enjoy mapping this system," Picard states.

"Indeed, sir. Right up my alley."

"Right. Now that everyone knows their assignments, we shall proceed...to explore," Picard says, grinning. "Dismissed."

The senior staff stands up and begins leaving.

"Miss Kadohata, one moment please," Picard says, turning in his seat.

"Yes, captain?"

"I understand you served under Mr. Data before his death."

"Yeah...he always could cheer me up when I was down. It seems like that would be a difficult task for an Android, but not Data. Somehow he always knew what to say."

Picard chuckles. "Data was one of the most Human lifeforms I've ever known. He was also one of the best friends I've ever had. If he had the confidence in you to take his place at ops, I trust his judgment."

"Thank you, sir. I will do my best."

"I know you will."

* * *

The _Enterprise_ arrives in the Denab system.

"Drop us out of warp, lieutenant."

"Aye, captain," Faur responds.

"Captain, I'm detecting an unidentified vessel in the system," Worf reports.

"Visual?" Picard asks.

The vessel appears on the main viewscreen, but is too small to be recognized.

"Magnification factor five."

The vessel's appearance increases on the viewscreen.

"It appears to be a Klingon vessel, sir," Kadohata says observantly.

"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" Picard muses, stroking his chin.

"What are they doing out here?" Madden asks nervously.

"Unknown," Worf responds.

"Well, let's not be rude. Mr. Worf, hail them," Picard says, standing and fixing his shirt.

"Aye, captain. Channel open."

"Unidentified Klingon vessel, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS _Enterprise_. We request that you state the reason for your presence here."

The only reply is static.

Worf shakes his head. "Nothing, captain."

"Unidentified vessel, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard..."

More static.

Picard sighs. "Not exactly the welcome I was expecting. Suggestions?"

"Sir, I recommend a warning shot across their bow," Worf suggests.

"No, we're not enemies with your people, Mr. Worf. I wish to avoid a conflict if possible."

"But sir, they have refused to answer our hails. Surely..."

Picard turns to Worf with a look he knows well.

"Yes, sir," Worf complies.

"Maybe their communications array is damaged?" Madden suggests.

"We can't rule out the possibility," Kadohata agrees.

"Alright, alright. Suppose their communications are down. How can we get a message to them?" Picard asks.

"Subspace communication is the norm for conversing between ships, captain," Kadohata points out.

"But I'm not looking for the norm, commander." Picard turns to the tactical station. "Mr. Worf, are your people familiar with the old Earth communication known as Morse Code?"

"Yes, sir. It has never been widely used by them, though."

"Can we relay a message to them using Morse Code that they could decipher and respond to?"

"Perhaps. I will attempt to send them a message, sir."

"Good. Thank you, Mr. Worf," Picard says, nodding to Worf and then taking his seat.

"Now what, captain?" Madden asks.

"Now...we wait." Picard rests his chin on his hands.

**...**

Onboard the Klingon vessel, the captain is sitting in his chair, staring at the viewscreen. A clicking sound can be heard from the tactical officer's station.

"They are attempting to contact us by means of an old Earth code," the tactical officer, a Lethean, informs the captain in Klingonese (the Klingon tongue). "Shall I respond?"

The captain strokes his beard thoughtfully. "Clever, these Humans."

"Sir, shall we attack?" the first officer asks. "We have them right where we want them."

"Not yet." the captain responds. He turns to the tactical officer. "Tell them that we have suffered a power failure and are in need of a new power core. Our engines are down, and we are operating on minimal life support."

"Understood, sir," the tactical officer complies.

"J'dan, prepare a boarding party," the captain tells the first officer.

"Aye, captain," J'dan responds. "Dagan!"

Dagan, the Cardassian ops officer, follows J'dan to the turbolift.

"Maglus, tell them that we also require medical assistance. Once they drop their shields, you will disable their weapons array and warp drive. Do not destroy them," the captain tells the tactical officer sternly.

"Yes, captain," Maglus replies.

**...**

"Sir, they have responded," Worf reports. "They request medical assistance, as well as a small engineering team with a replacement power core."

"This doesn't feel right," Kadohata offers her opinion.

Picard ponders the situation for a moment. "Until we have reason to believe otherwise, we must assume they are telling the truth. Mr. Worf, I'd like you to lead an away team over there with supplies and a power core for the Klingons."

Worf starts for the turbolift. Kadohata stands up and faces the captain.

"Sir, if I may...the _Enterprise_ needs Mr. Worf at tactical—just in case this mission of mercy goes south."

"Are you volunteering to lead the away team, Miss Kadohata?" Picard inquires.

"I am, sir."

Picard nods. "Very well. Mr. Worf, resume your station."

"Sir..." Worf protests.

"You heard my order, commander."

Worf sighs. "Aye, captain."

"Proceed, Miss Kadohata. Good luck."

"Thank you, sir," she replies, before entering the turbolift.

* * *

Kadohata enters the transporter room, joined by La Forge, Crusher, an engineer, a security officer and two nurses.

"Everyone ready?" she asks.

"Ready when you are," La Forge replies.

She taps her combadge. "Kadohata to bridge, we're ready down here, sir."

"Understood, commander," Picard responds. "Mr. Worf, tell the Klingons we're ready on this side."

"Aye, captain."

"Drop shields," Madden adds.

"The Klingons have confirmed. Dropping shields."

Worf lowers the _Enterprise_'s shields.

"Energize," Kadohata tells the transporter chief.

They dematerialize, and moments later, arrive on the Klingon vessel.

"Hello Starfleet," the Klingon transporter chief says, raising a disruptor at them.

The security officer puts his hand on his phaser, ready to shoot the Klingon if necessary.

"Where's your captain? We were told he was in need of immediate medical attention," Crusher asks.

"Follow me," the Klingon replies.

**...**

Elfiki's console suddenly begins beeping.

"Strange," she mutters to herself.

"What is it?" Madden asks, turning to face her.

"For a moment, I was reading trace amounts of polaric radiation in Cargo Bay 2."

"Cargo Bay 2?" Picard questions.

"Yes, sir."

"Strange indeed."

"What do you think it could be, captain?" Madden questions.

"It could be nothing, but I'd like you to take a small security team down there and investigate."

"Understood," Madden replies.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, lieutenant, but isn't the use of polaric ions prohibited because of their instability?"

"I believe you're right, captain," Elfiki agrees.

"So that means the radiation wasn't caused by us," Madden says, thoughtfully.

"Lieutenant, what effect would polaric ions have on internal sensors?" Picard inquires.

"It's possible that they could disrupt them...long enough for a small away team to beam over while our shields are down," she blurts out, suddenly realizing what Picard discovered only moments earlier.

Picard turns to Madden. "Commander, be careful down there. I have no idea what you may find."

**...**

The away team arrives on the Klingon bridge and is greeted by the Klingon captain.

"Welcome to the IKS _GhIqtal_. I am Kardok," he introduces himself.

"Hello, captain. Are you well? I was informed that you had been injured..." Crusher inquires.

"I'm quite well, doctor, as you can see."

"Where are the injured then?"

Kardok grins menacingly. "I'm afraid there are none."

"Then why the hell did you invite us over here?" La Forge questions.

This elicits a laugh from Kardok. "You honestly haven't figured it out yet? Perhaps you should have your visor checked, commander. I 'invited' you here to witness the destruction of your precious _Enterprise_. Your captain will join you shortly, and we will take a trip to see...him."

"Him?" Kadohata questions.

"Yes. The Master."

"Who is the Master?" Crusher asks nervously.

"He is the one who sent us here, to lure the flagship of the mighty Federation into our grasp. Picard will make an excellent bargaining tool to attain what we want."

"Which is?" La Forge takes his turn at questioning Kardok.

"How do you Humans say it? The...keys to the castle?"

"If you think the entire Federation is just gonna lay down arms to serve this master of yours, you're sadly mistaken," La Forge responds, a hint of disdain in his voice.

"Hah! You make me laugh, Human. Your puny Federation is nothing compared to the might of the Zenith Alliance. You've never heard of us, I'm sure...but we've been growing in the shadows. Members from various races in the galaxy, including Humans, have already joined our ranks."

A Gorn officer walks onto the bridge.

"Sir!" He stands at attention.

"It is time. Bring main power back online," Kardok orders.

"Aye, captain," the Gorn responds.

"Raise shields and ready weapons."

"Sir, we've got to do something," the tactical officer tells La Forge.

He pulls out his phaser and points it at Kardok, and in turn receives several disruptors pointed at him.

Kardok chuckles. "Put your weapon away. It will only get you into trouble."

"Crewman, put the phaser down. We're outnumbered," Kadohata tells the young, confused officer.

"I..." he hesitates.

Maglus pulls out his disruptor and fires it at the ensign. Kadohata and Crusher rush to the ensign's aid, and La Forge and the engineer pull out their phasers.

"Enough!" Kardok yells. "Maglus, confiscate their weapons."

"Sir," Maglus complies.

"He's dead," Crusher reports, looking up at La Forge solemnly.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the _Enterprise_, J'dan, Dagan and a Human Zenith operative, Vana Aleksandrov, have materialized in Cargo Bay 2.

"Alright, stay down," Aleksandrov tells the others. "It won't take them long to figure out that we hid ourselves with that polaric radiation."

"We need to get to the bridge," Dagan points out.

"Just stay low and follow me."

"I am in command of this team," J'dan responds, standing to his feet. "From now on, you will follow my orders only."

Just then, Madden and his security team enter the cargo bay. J'dan spins around and grabs for his disruptor, but Madden is too quick for him, and shoots him down.

"Son of a bitch!" Aleksandrov exclaims, seeing J'dan fall to the floor. "New plan. Run!"

She and Dagan make their way to the far end of the cargo bay, where they reach a Jefferies tube.

"Cover me!" she tells Dagan.

He shoots two of the officers accompanying Madden. Madden hits the wall just above Aleksandrov's head, but she ducks inside the tube to avoid being hit. Dagan manages to hit Madden in the shoulder, and he then escapes into the tube along with Aleksandrov.

"Oh," Madden groans, waking from his temporary stupor.

He stumbles over to J'dan, who is still lying on the floor. Madden points his phaser at J'dan.

"What is your mission?" he asks.

"I will not answer to you, petaQ!" J'dan then stabs himself with his own blade to avoid capture.

"Damn it." Madden taps his combadge. "Security alert! We have intruders on Deck 6."

**...**

On the Klingon vessel, the crew is preparing to attack the _Enterprise_.

"Status report, Graal?" Kardok asks his chief engineer.

"Systems are coming back online from sleep mode. The ship will be fully functional in two minutes," Graal replies.

"Good."

"You won't succeed in your plan, Kardok. The Federation and its allies will stop you," Kadohata states boldly.

"Hah! Such courage you have, to stand up to a Klingon warrior, commander."

"You're no warrior. Not an honorable one, anyway."

Kardok snarls at that remark. "You are very bold, indeed."

"What's honorable about taking allies of the Empire as prisoners?" La Forge questions.

"Fool! You still believe we are part of the Klingon Empire? This is a Klingon ship, yes, but it is no more a part of the Empire than you are."

"What will happen to us?" Crusher asks.

"That has yet to be determined," Kardok says, with an evil grin.

Crusher swallows nervously. La Forge lets out a heavy sigh.

**...**

Aleksandrov and Dagan make their way to a transporter room.

"Get on," Aleksandrov tells him.

Dagan steps onto the transporter pad. Aleksandrov energizes the beam, and steps onto the pad as well. The duo rematerializes on the bridge. Worf takes notice of them, and pulls out his phaser.

"Captain, watch out!" he shouts.

Picard turns around, to be greeted by Aleksandrov's disruptor. She grabs him by the arm.

"What do you want?" Picard inquires.

She says nothing in reply. Instead, she taps the combadge on her arm.

"Jol yIchu'!" she exclaims.

She is transported back to the Klingons' vessel, along with Dagan and Picard.

"Captain!" Worf shouts, at the sight of Picard's unwilling transport to the enemy vessel.

"What do we do, sir?" Faur asks.

Worf ponders the situation. Before he can speak, Madden enters the bridge.

"Where's the captain?" he asks.

"He was transported to the Klingon ship," Elfiki responds solemnly.

"Well, transport him back!"

"No use, sir. Their shields are up," Worf says, shaking his head.

"Not so helpless anymore, are they?"

Madden takes a seat in the captain's chair.

"Mr. Worf, raise our shields."

Worf attempts to bring the shields online, but is prevented.

"I...can't. Shields are not responding."

The Klingon vessel suddenly cloaks.

"Damn," Faur says to herself.

"They're gone, sir. We can't track them," Elfiki reports. She hangs her head. "The captain..."

* * *

Picard enters the bridge of the Klingon vessel, accompanied by Aleksandrov and Dagan. Kardok spins around in his chair.

"Ah, captain! Welcome to the IKS _GhIqtal_. I've been expecting you."

"Who are you? Why am I here? I demand to see a neutral representative!" Picard replies, sternly.

Kardok chuckles, calmly answering each question in turn. "I am Kardok. You are here because I wish it. Of course you do. Unfortunately there are no such representatives available."

"By your actions, I can see you are obviously not a part of the Klingon Defense Force. What faction are you affiliated with?"

"The Zenith Alliance."

"The what?" Picard questions, raising an eyebrow.

"The Zenith...Alliance," Kardok repeats himself, slower this time.

"I am unfamiliar with them."

"Soon, captain, you will be very acquainted with us." Kardok walks over to Dagan and Aleksandrov. "Where is J'dan?"

"He...fell, sir," Dagan responds.

"I see. How unfortunate. We will have to continue the plan without him."

"Shall I take the prisoners to the brig, sir?" Aleksandrov asks.

"Take their junior officers. Leave the doctor, the blind man and the back-talker."

"This way, scum!" she yells, leading the engineer and two nurses off the bridge.

Picard walks over to La Forge, Kadohata and Crusher.

"Captain, are you alright?" Kadohata asks.

"I'm quite alright, commander. What about you?"

"We lost our security officer, but other than that, we're fine, sir," La Forge responds.

"What does this man want, what is the Zenith Alliance, and why the hell is a Breen manning the conn on a Klingon ship?"

"We know about as much as you do, sir," Crusher replies.

Picard tugs his shirt. "I intend to get to the bottom of this. Whoever these people are—I will find out."

**...**

Back on the _Enterprise_, Madden and Elfiki are attempting to locate the _GhIqtal_.

"Don't most ships give off tachyon emissions or residual antiprotons when cloaked?" Madden asks.

"Yes...sadly, this particular one doesn't," she responds, frustrated.

Madden sighs. "Keep trying."

"Sir! They're decloaking!" Worf shouts. "They're charging their weapons!"

"Shields?"

"Still down."

Madden runs to the captain's chair. "All hands, this is the first officer. Battle stations!"

The _GhIqtal_ fires its disruptors repeatedly. The _Enterprise_ sustains several hits.

"Mr. Worf, return fire!" Madden shouts.

"Aye, sir!"

Worf fires several quantum torpedoes at the _GhIqtal_.

"No effect on their shields, sir."

Madden opens the internal comm. "Engineering, why aren't these damn shields working?"

"I don't know, sir. We're working on it," the assistant chief engineer responds.

Another engineer opens an access panel in the wall of engineering. A small device has been put inside.

"Sir, come take a look at this," he tells his superior. "This shouldn't be in here."

"You're right. Question is, how did it get there?"

"Maybe the Klingons beamed it in after we lowered our shields?"

"Maybe. Either way, it's gotta go. Remove it." The assistant chief engineer taps his combadge. "Commander, we think we may have found what was disrupting the shields. A small device has been placed in the shield controls access panel. We're removing it now."

"Understood," Madden replies.

"Got it!" the other engineer says gleefully.

It begins beeping, more and more rapidly.

"What's going on? Why's it doing that?"

The assistant chief engineer realizes at the last moment what the device is.

"Run! Get out! Everybody out!"

The engineering crew scrambles for the door. The device detonates, killing several of them, and severely damaging main engineering. The explosion can be felt on the bridge as well.

"What the hell was that?" Elfiki questions.

Suddenly, the lights on the bridge go dim.

"Main power is offline. Now running on emergency backup," the stand-in ops officer reports.

The _GhIqtal_ swings around to strike again.

"Sir, we do not stand a chance against them. Their shields are holding at 97%," Worf comments.

"What do you propose we do then?" Madden asks.

"I don't know. These Klingons fight without honor—with tricks and deception. We have been caught completely unprepared."

Madden stands up slowly.

"S-Send a distress call to Starfleet on a secure channel. Inform them that this may be the last message sent by the _Enterprise_," he says shakily.

Faur's gaze drops at the hearing of Madden's words.

"Yes, sir."

"When you're done, hail the Klingons. Tell them we surrender, and accept any terms they deem appropriate."

The tactical console beeps.

"They are hailing us, sir."

"On-screen."

Kardok appears on the viewscreen. "Greetings, commander. I am Kardok."

"Captain, we're obviously at your mercy now. What are your terms?" Madden asks.

Kardok chuckles. "I have no terms. My orders were to destroy the _Enterprise_."

"Surely you wouldn't..."

"Ah, but I can, and will. I just wished for you to see my face before I take your life."

"Sir, please. If you truly are a Klingon warrior, won't you have compassion for your prisoners?"

"I have more than enough prisoners on my ship already."

"Captain! You dishonor your family and the Empire by doing this. What could you possibly hope to gain by destroying a Federation starship?" Worf speaks up.

"Mr. Worf, you are the dishonorable one. You have betrayed our people by joining Starfleet. They are nothing more than self-righteous beings who spread their delusional Utopian propaganda across the galaxy. There is no such thing as a perfect state. They even have you deceived by their smooth-talking diplomats and politicians."

"You are correct—the Federation is far from perfect. That does not, however, give you the right to take the lives of hundreds of people."

"This debate is pointless. You will die, and that is the end of it." Kardok turns to Picard. "Any last words for your valiant crew, captain?"

Picard faces the viewscreen. "Even in light of this new threat, we shall rise up against it. Even if we all perish, our struggle will not be in vain. Evil will always be triumphed by good in the end. Whatever you seek to gain by doing this, Kardok, will ultimately be for naught."

"How touching," Kardok grins deviously. "I can feel the nothingness of my endeavors creeping in already. It is glorious!"

"You're delusional," Kadohata comments.

"Perhaps," Kardok agrees. "Maglus, fire!"

**_To be continued..._**

* * *

**A/N: Will Captain Picard, Geordi La Forge, Miranda Kadohata and Dr. Crusher escape the IKS ****_GhIqtal_****? Will the ****_Enterprise_**** be destroyed? Who is the "Master"? Find out more at federationlegacy. wikia. com. Please review!**


	2. Zenith, Part II

**》****ZENITH, PART II《**

_Episode 1x02  
Published: 29 September 2014  
Stardate 56959.7 (__July 16, 2380)_

* * *

Jean-Luc Picard, Miranda Kadohata, Geordi La Forge and Beverly Crusher watch helplessly from the bridge of the IKS _GhIqtal_ as its gunner prepares to destroy the USS _Enterprise_.

"Wait!" Crusher shouts.

"What?" Kardok sighs heavily, disappointed at this unexpected delay.

"Don't you have any regard for life? Surely there must be some way for..."

"Doctor, it has already been decided. The _Enterprise_ is a casualty of war." He raises his hand to signal Maglus to fire.

"You're nothing more than a coward," Miranda Kadohata speaks up. "A disgrace. You bring shame to your father."

Kardok punches his armrest. "You will be quiet!"

"No, I won't. I'll do whatever it takes to stop you from doing this."

"You will not speak against my father."

"Was he as dishonorable as you, or did you rebel against what he taught you as a child?" she taunts.

Kardok grows increasingly agitated by her persistence. "My father was a great warrior."

"And that great warrior has been brought low by the misdeeds of his offspring."

In a fit of rage, Kardok steps over to Kadohata and grabs her by the neck, slamming her up against a wall console. "PetaQ! I will cut out your tongue!" he screams.

Picard finally steps in. "Kardok! Enough of this nonsense. I am the one you want, you said that yourself. I ask you, please let my crew go."

Kardok ponders for a moment whether to wring Kadohata's neck, or let her go. He finally releases her from his grip.

Kardok stares at Picard. "What you ask is difficult, captain."

"I realize that it was part of your mission to destroy my ship, but surely there must be another way. You have already crippled her. What would be said of the Klingon warrior who destroyed a disabled Federation starship?"

Kardok mulls over his options. "Their weapons and shields are still down?"

"Aye, captain," Dagan, the ops officer, responds.

"And what about their engines?"

"Their warp drive is completely inactive, and their core has been damaged."

Kardok turns to Maglus, the gunner. "Stand down from battle stations."

"Sir?" Maglus questions.

"You heard me. Nen, prepare to take us out of the system."

"Sir, shall I destroy them?" Maglus inquires, confused.

"No, we are leaving."

"But sir, our orders were clear. We must complete our mission."

"We have done enough. Besides, when they reactivate their main power, they may have a surprise waiting for them in their engine core."

"Sir, with all due respect, we cannot take the chance that they will be able to repair the damage and send word to their fleet," Maglus says, crossing his arms.

"So what if they inform their puny fleet? We will be long gone, and we already have what we want."

"Captain, I cannot allow you to do this."

"Are you challenging me for command, then, Maglus?"

Dagan stands and faces Kardok. "Actually, I am, captain. You are no longer acting in the best interests of this vessel or her crew, and I wish to...relieve you of command."

"You?" Kardok laughs. "You wish to challenge me, Dagan? Very well."

"Are they really doing this?" La Forge asks, to no one in particular.

"It's customary on Klingon ships to challenge the commander if he is thought to be incompetent," Picard responds.

"Whoopee for us," Crusher remarks sarcastically.

**...**

On the bridge of the _Enterprise_, the crew is growing suspicious by the sudden hesitance of the Zenith crew to destroy them.

"What are they waiting for?" Dana Elfiki questions.

"Mr. Worf, hail them," Martin Madden says.

"No response, sir," Worf replies.

"Well, that's a tad peculiar," Elfiki says.

"Indeed," Worf agrees. "Perhaps the captain was able to stall them."

"How long until we can restore main power?" Madden asks, sensing an opportunity arising.

"A few minutes, sir," the ops officer responds.

"Continue monitoring them closely, Mr. Worf," Madden says, watching the IKS _GhIqtal_ intently on the viewscreen.

"Aye, sir."

* * *

Kardok and Dagan face each other on the bridge of the _GhIqtal_, about to duel for command of the vessel.

"Before we begin, let it be known that if I am victorious, all of you shall follow my orders without further questions," Kardok states plainly.

"Understood, sir," Maglus replies.

"And let it be known that if I win, you will take orders from me, the first of which will be to toss this fool out an airlock," Dagan says, referring to Kardok.

Kardok laughs. He unsheathes his d'k tahg blade, Dagan following suit. Kardok swings his blade at Dagan, tauntingly. Dagan watches his every move carefully. Kardok takes another swing, causing Dagan to stumble backwards.

"What's wrong, Dagan? Are you giving up already?"

Angered, Dagan lunges at him, grazing Kardok's arm. This elicits a grin from Kardok.

"That's more like it."

Kardok responds with a blow to Dagan's ear. Dagan cries out in pain.

"You will die for that!" he shouts.

With that, he pounces on Kardok, pinning him down, their blades clashing, only inches from Kardok's neck. Dagan attempts to push the two blades into Kardok's neck, and at first, it appears he might succeed, but Kardok overpowers him, tossing him off. Kardok jumps at Dagan, but is met with a blade to the gut. He looks at the knife surprisedly and stumbles backwards, falling to the floor.

"I have won," Dagan proclaims, standing.

He heads for the captain's chair, but before he can reach it, a blade pierces his upper back.

"What...?" he asks, in shock.

He turns as he slides to the floor in agony. Kardok has returned to his feet, and is standing over him.

"You were a most worthy opponent, Dagan. Your valor will be noted in my log."

Kardok sits in his chair, and signals for Maglus to remove Dagan from the bridge.

"What was it you were going to have them do to me? Toss me out an airlock? A most...interesting method of garbage disposal." Kardok grins.

"No, no, please, captain! Don't kill me!" Dagan pleads, realizing his soon approaching fate.

Kardok simply waves his hand, telling Maglus to proceed. Picard stands to his feet.

"Kardok, enough. You have beaten him and proven you are the champion. There is no reason to continue with this," he says.

Kardok frowns. "Had he been the victor, he would be doing this very thing to me. Would you still plead for my life so easily?"

"Absolutely. I believe all life is sacred, even if the individual is not necessarily deserving of it."

"You are too compassionate, Picard. It is your one major weakness."

"On the contrary, I like to think of it as a strength."

Kardok sighs. "Throw him in the brig."

Maglus hesitates.

"Are you losing your hearing, Maglus?" Kardok asks impatiently.

"Very well, captain," Maglus complies.

He drags Dagan off the bridge.

"Helm, take us out of the system," Kardok orders.

"Aye, captain," Nen responds.

The _GhIqtal_ goes to warp.

**...**

"Main power is back online, sir," Worf reports.

The ops console beeps.

"Sir, internal sensors are detecting several minor fractures in the warp core's dilithium casing. We have a breach in progress!" the ops officer yells.

"Eject the core!" Madden says, terror in his voice.

"Trying, sir." He presses several buttons. "Core is ejecting."

"Miss Faur, take us to full impulse!" Worf commands.

"Aye, sir."

Faur accelerates the _Enterprise_ to full impulse power. Only seconds later, the warp core destabilizes and explodes, the ensuing shockwave shaking the _Enterprise_.

"Whew," Faur exclaims.

"Good job, everyone," Madden says. "Now, to contact Starfleet..."

"Sir, we are receiving a hail from Admiral Janeway herself," Worf reports.

"I'll take it in the ready room, Mr. Worf."

Madden enters the captain's ready room and sits down. He turns on the captain's computer.

"Jean-Luc?" Admiral Kathryn Janeway asks, concerned.

"No, admiral, this is Commander Martin Madden."

"We received your distress call. What happened to the captain?"

"He was abducted by a Klingon named Kardok. His ship is very powerful. It can be made to fool others into thinking it is disabled, and within a few minutes, it is fully active again."

Janeway seems a bit disturbed by this. "Well, I've already dispatched a ship to your location to assist you with anything you may need."

"Thank you, admiral. Um...if you could also send a warp core, it would be appreciated."

Janeway chuckles. "Of course. I will contact you later, once I have looked into this matter further. Janeway out."

* * *

_"Captain's personal log, IKS GhIqtal. We left the Denab system almost four days ago, and are proceeding at high warp to our home base. I have succeeded in apprehending Captain Picard, as well as several of his officers. Xolor will be most pleased."_

Kardok stands up to leave the bridge of the _GhIqtal_. He turns to Picard before exiting.

"Captain, would you care to join me for dinner?"

Picard purses his lips. "Well, I certainly have nothing better to do."

"Thank you, captain. I most appreciate it."

They leave the bridge.

"I don't like this Kardok one bit. He gives me the creeps," Crusher comments.

"I don't like him either, but he did spare the _Enterprise_. Hopefully the captain can reason with him some more," La Forge replies.

**...**

Picard and Kardok both take their seats in Kardok's quarters. Picard eyes the room curiously.

"I know it is not very elegant, at least by your standards, but it serves me well," Kardok says, referring to the lackluster decor of his quarters.

"It's actually quite inventive, in its own way," Picard replies, returning his gaze to Kardok.

"I have been reading your personnel file, captain. Quite an impressive record," Kardok comments.

"Thank you."

"Born 13 July 2305. Ah, your birthday was three days ago." Kardok raises his cup. "Many happy returns."

Picard smiles slightly, then stares at him for a moment. "What do you really want from me, captain?"

Kardok chuckles. "I want nothing from you, Picard. It is Xolor who wishes to see you."

"Xolor?" Picard questions. "Is that this 'master' of yours?"

"Yes."

"Who is he? Where is he from? What is his purpose for..."

"Captain, captain. All of your questions will be answered by Xolor himself when we reach him."

Picard seems somewhat content with that answer. "Very well."

"Something is troubling you, Picard. What is it?" Kardok asks, head tilted to the side.

Picard gives him a knowing look. "You attacked my ship, disabled it, took me and my away team hostage, and threatened to destroy my ship and everyone onboard, so, yes. Something is certainly troubling me."

"I was simply following Xolor's orders. Do you doubt his motives?"

"I doubt the motives of anyone who would destroy one civilization to build up another," is Picard's concise reply.

Kardok grins. "I like you Picard. I'm beginning to feel that sparing your ship was the right decision. When Xolor first told me that he wished to bring the Federation to its knees to allow the Empire to expand, I went with him wholeheartedly, but now, I feel that the Empire can benefit from Humans like you."

"You still trust him, after all he has done?"

"And what has he done? He has given me command of a vessel of immense power, a fine crew, and you to share my journey with."

"Is he Klingon?"

Kardok ponders this question for a moment. "No, he is not."

"What species is he then?"

"I do not know. I have heard rumors from others in the order that he is an alien from another galaxy like our own, and that he wished to leave there to discover new worlds..."

"And to conquer them?" Picard inquires.

Kardok seems taken aback by this. "Has the Federation not conquered worlds and integrated them into your collective body of star systems?"

"No, Kardok. We welcome new worlds freely, without force, and only when we feel those worlds are ready to join us. There is no war or conquest involved."

"Now where is the fun in that?"

"Don't you see what he's doing to you, Kardok? He has you convinced that tearing down a society is no different from pulling a troublesome weed from your garden. There is more going on here than you realize."

Kardok begins to look annoyed. "Come, there is something I'd like you to see."

They leave Kardok's quarters.

* * *

_"First officer's log, stardate 56959.7. It's been four days since Captain Picard, Dr. Crusher and Commanders La Forge and Kadohata were abducted by the Klingon captain known as Kardok. Starfleet has dispatched a support vessel to assist us in repairs, as well as supply us with a new warp core. With a four day head start, the Klingons will be hard to track. I...I hope we can find the captain and our away team before it's too late."_

Madden is sitting in the mess hall, drinking a cup of coffee, awaiting a report from the bridge that they can get underway. Hegol Den, the ship's new counselor, approaches him.

"Is everything alright, commander?" the Bajoran asks.

Madden looks up at him with an empty look on his face. "Uh, yes...I was just thinking..."

"About?" Den asks, taking a seat across from Madden.

"About this whole mess we're in. How are we even supposed to find that ship? They're long gone by now, and we couldn't even detect them when they were cloaked right next to us."

"Well, if it's any consolation to you, the crew has confidence in your ability to command, and so do I."

"Thanks, but that's not gonna bring the captain back."

"No, but it sure can't hurt."

"What would you do if you were in my position?" Madden inquires.

"First, I'd start by trusting in myself to be able to make the right decision. Second, I'd pray for some divine intervention, because this ship is gonna be hell to track."

Madden chuckles. "Yeah, thanks."

Den stands. "Don't mention it." He pats Madden on the shoulder. "Have confidence in the captain. This wouldn't be the first time he's had to get himself out of a tricky situation."

**...**

Kardok and Picard enter a large, brightly-lit room, with several work stations and a rather large device at the middle of the room.

"Captain, do you know what this is?" Kardok asks, pointing to a large red sphere at the center of the device.

Picard examines it for a moment. "I've never seen anything like this. What is it?"

"It is called red matter. A single drop is sufficient to destabilize a star."

Picard's eyes grow wide. "Where did you get this weapon?"

Kardok chuckles. "That is the best part of it, captain. I'm sure you would suspect something of this power to have been brought to us by Xolor."

"The thought had come to mind."

"How wrong you are, captain. In fact, it was created by one of the planets in your Federation, quite recently. It was still in the prototype stages when we...acquired it."

"What?" Picard asks, eyes wider than before. "This can't be. You are lying."

"I am not! It is the truth, Picard. It would serve you well to listen to me."

"Doesn't this all seem a little bit odd to you, Kardok? A mysterious alien lifeform from beyond our galaxy comes here to stir up trouble, and all he needs is this device, this...red matter."

"He is not interested in destroying whole planets. If he was, he would have done so already."

"Then what is this thing doing here? Does Xolor simply wish to strike fear into the powers of the galaxy by parading this around on his flagship?"

"Ah! Now you understand, Picard! That is what this is about. Fear—it is an inexorable ally to someone who wishes to exploit it."

"This weapon will spell dire consequences to anyone involved with its creation or deployment, I can assure you."

Kardok sighs. "Perhaps I was wrong about you, Picard. You allow this inexplicable trepidation to grip you. It clouds your judgment."

"Are you even listening to me?" Picard asks, gesturing with his hands. "When does it become wrong, Kardok? No one should be given such power to create or destroy. Xolor is, in fact, playing God. He seeks to control what he doesn't understand, through force—and I fear—mass genocide."

Kardok once again becomes impatient, tightening his fists.

"You know what I'm saying is true," Picard says softly. "He's lied to you, Kardok. He doesn't want to restore the Empire to its former glory. His initial plan may not be to use this weapon, but he ultimately will."

"He promised me! He said he would help me restore my father's lost honor!"

"I wonder how many others on this ship were promised the same thing," Picard muses. "Did he inform you that he would be helping them restore the glory of their empires as well?"

"No, initially I believed that he was recruiting Klingon warriors to seize control of the homeworld, and begin reshaping the Empire. I joined him without hesitation, something I am now beginning to regret. One question remains, what is his real plan?"

"I don't know, but it certainly isn't to help your people."

Kardok stares at Picard for a moment. "I am still hesitant to disobey his orders. He is very powerful, and has many followers much more loyal than me on this ship. If word of my sudden misgiving reaches him..."

Picard interrupts. "No one needs to know what we've discussed here...not yet."

"But what can we do? The plan is already in motion."

"Is there any way we can get a message to the _Enterprise_?"

"It will be difficult."

"Is there anyone you can trust enough to help us without arousing suspicion?"

"Maglus will no doubt question my decision, but he is very loyal. I believe I can convince him to help. Perhaps Nen as well. He is very good at hiding any emotion from his persona, and can fool even the most skeptical person into believing a lie."

"Thank you, Kardok. I believe you're making the right decision."

"I hope so, Picard, for all our sakes."

* * *

Picard and Kardok return to the bridge.

"Captain! Are you alright? We started to worry..." Kadohata starts.

"I'm fine, commander," Picard responds.

Kardok sits in his chair. "How long until we reach Zenith Prime?" he asks.

"Four hours, sir," Nen responds.

"Understood." Kardok turns to Maglus. "Can you send a message to the _Enterprise_ without anyone noticing?" he whispers.

"Sir?" Maglus puzzles.

"Answer the question."

"I would need to send it over a secure channel, but...why would I, sir?"

"It's...part of my new plan. I am going to lure the _Enterprise_ into our space so we can capture her."

Maglus ponders this.

"Imagine if we had the Federation's flagship in our arsenal...Xolor would be unstoppable."

"So your intention was to capture the _Enterprise_? Why not just send a team over to take control and follow us to Zenith?"

"Because, Starfleet would send more ships after the _Enterprise_. As it stands now, only they will come," Kardok states confidently.

"You seem quite sure of this, sir."

"Indeed. Now, can you do it?"

"Yes. Give me some time."

"You have until we reach Zenith, Maglus. No longer."

Maglus leaves the bridge.

**...**

_"First officer's log, supplemental. Twenty-two hours have passed, and we have yet to pick up any sign of the Klingon vessel, even after searching seven star systems. Its cloaking device appears to be fool proof."_

"Anything here, lieutenant?" Madden asks.

"Nothing, sir," Worf responds. "No antiprotons or any other residual particles, just as before."

Madden sighs. "Keep looking."

"Sir, this is odd...I'm getting a hail over subspace on a secure channel..." Worf suddenly speaks up.

"Admiral Janeway again?"

"No, sir. It is not a Starfleet transmission. It has a different wavelength."

"O-onscreen," Madden stutters.

"Audio only, sir."

"Put it through."

"Commander? Are you there? Commander Madden?" the all-too-familiar voice of Captain Picard asks.

Madden jumps up from his chair. "We read you captain. What's your status?"

"We are fine for the moment, but I don't know how long it will last, so listen to me very carefully."

"Understood, sir."

"I have gained the trust of the _GhIqtal_'s captain. He has agreed to help us, and he has told his crew that he is revealing your location so that he can lead you into a trap, but in reality, he is seeking to expose his master, Xolor."

Madden makes a face. "But, sir, how do you know he can be trusted? What if he actually is leading us into a trap?"

Picard chuckles. "I think you will be walking into a trap regardless. The intention, however, is to spring the trap."

"Captain, are you absolutely certain that we can trust Kardok?"

"No, but he is our best hope of getting out of this situation."

"Funny that he was the one to get us into this."

Picard pauses for a moment. "Yes...on the other hand, had he not captured us, we would still be unaware of Xolor's plans."

"And these plans are?"

"I-I...can't tell you any more at the moment. I am sending a coded signal with the coordinates of the planet we are being taken to. Good luck, commander."

The transmission ends.

"I have the coordinates, commander. Routing them into the navigational computer," Worf announces.

"This doesn't feel right, sir..." Elfiki trails off.

"No, it doesn't...but we can't let the captain down," Madden responds.

"Course laid in for the system, sir. It appears to be in an uncharted region of space," Faur reports. "Shall I engage?"

Madden sits back down. "Take us out, lieutenant."

* * *

Picard ends the transmission with the _Enterprise_.

"Very good, captain. Well spoken. Now, let us proceed with the plan," Kardok says.

"Which is?" Maglus asks.

"I already told you. We are luring the _Enterprise_ into a trap."

Picard looks surprised. "But we had a deal, Kardok."

"Foolish Human! You honestly thought I would allow the _Enterprise_ to foil our plans?"

"You are going back on your word!"

"My word? Did I give you my word?" Kardok chuckles. "Your little ship will meet a most unsavory end, I'm afraid."

"I suppose I was wrong about you, then, Kardok."

Kardok grins. "Maglus, get back to the bridge. Notify me when we reach Zenith."

"Aye, captain."

Maglus leaves the room.

"Well played, Picard. We now have Maglus fully convinced that the _Enterprise_ is falling into a trap. When we reach Zenith, I want you to send them this," he says, handing him a small data chip.

"What is it?"

"It contains the positions of our patrols in the system. The _Enterprise_ will be able to maneuver through the patrols and send a team down to the planet. What you do from there is up to you. I myself will confront Xolor. No doubt his wrath will be harsh, but I am a Klingon warrior, bred for the fight."

Picard puts his hand on Kardok's shoulder. "You won't have to face him alone, Kardok. You have proven yourself to be quite an honorable ally, and perhaps even a friend."

"A friend?" Kardok ponders this. "Intriguing people, you Humans."

Unbeknownst to them, someone has been listening in on their whole conversation. The crewman quietly retreats from the room.

**...**

The crewman heads to the bridge to inform Vana Aleksandrov of what he overheard.

"What?" she asks him. "You're sure of this?"

The crewman nods.

"Then my suspicions were correct. Kardok is aiding the enemy. Don't tell anyone you know about this, understand?"

"Aye, sir," he responds.

Aleksandrov enters the brig, where Dagan is being held. She lowers the force field.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"We have a common enemy, Dagan," she responds.

"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow.

She steps in closer. "Kardok."

"He did spare my life..."

"Only because that Human, Picard, intervened."

Dagan ponders her words. "What do you want me to do?"

"It's simple, really," she says, now sitting next to him. "I need you to kill Captain Picard. He is trying to stir up trouble among the crew, and ruin the Master's plan."

"And w-what will we tell the Master?"

She strokes his ear with her finger. "Leave that to me." She teases him, pretending to kiss him, then backs away. "Can I count on you?"

"Of course," he manages.

"Good, now go. I'll handle Kardok," she smiles.

* * *

Picard enters the quarters given to him and the rest of the away team.

"Jean-Luc, where have you been? We were worried," Crusher asks.

"I was...busy performing."

"Performing?" La Forge inquires.

"Kardok and I had to convince his crew that he is actually luring the _Enterprise_ into an ambush."

"Captain, I don't mean to question your decisions, but how can we trust Kardok? He is, after all, the one who got us into this mess in the first place," Kadohata says.

"I believe he has realized his error in joining these terrorists, but it's still up to him to make the next move. That said, I trust him."

"Well, if you ask me..." Crusher begins.

Suddenly, Dagan and a security team barge into the quarters.

"Captain, it's time," he says to Picard.

"Time for what?"

"For you to die!" he shouts, pulling out a knife and lunging at Picard.

La Forge and Aleksandrov try to help Picard, but the security officers hold them back. Picard backs up to the wall, and ducks when Dagan thrusts the knife at his head. Dagan struggles to free the knife from the wall. Picard hits him on the spine with his fists.

"Ah!" Dagan groans. "I will kill you, Picard!"

"Why are you doing this?" Picard asks.

"You are disrupting the working order of this ship."

Dagan gives Picard a palm to the face, knocking him on his buttocks. He is about to kill Picard when Kadohata breaks free from her captor. She wraps her arms around his neck, choking him. He manages to hold onto the knife, thrusting it through her stomach, causing her to fall backward.

"Miranda!" Crusher shouts, running to her side.

"Captain...I..." Kadohata trails off.

Picard uses Dagan's distractedness to his advantage, knocking him down and holding the knife to his throat.

"Call off your men," Picard demands.

Dagan waves them away.

"Sir?" one of them asks.

"Can you not see he has a knife to my throat? Put down your weapons."

"Sorry, sir, I can't do that."

With that, La Forge grabs his captor's weapon and knocks him on the floor. He shoots the other two, and the one on the floor stumbles away.

"Who told you to kill me?" Picard asks.

Dagan laughs. "I'll never tell you, Human scum."

"Very well." Picard punches him in the face twice, knocking him unconscious.

He walks over to Crusher and Kadohata. "How is she, doctor?"

"Not good, Jean-Luc. If I can't treat her wounds soon, I'm going to lose her."

"Geordi, find the sickbay and get some medical equipment. I'm going to the brig to free the rest of our people."

"Aye, sir," La Forge replies.

Picard and La Forge leave the room.

"Hang in there, Miranda," Crusher says softly. "It's going to be alright."

**...**

Kardok enters the bridge and walks over to his chair.

Aleksandrov stands and faces him. "You are hiding a dirty little secret, captain."

"Oh?" Kardok raises an eyebrow.

"I know you are helping the Starfleet mongrels to gain access to our space, so they can help you overthrow Xolor."

"What? Captain, how could you?" a crewman gasps.

"Miss Aleksandrov is only telling you a half-truth. I am bringing the _Enterprise_ here so we can capture her. She is of more value than Xolor realizes."

"Enough of the lies, captain. We know what you've done. There's nowhere to run now, so please, drop the façade," Aleksandrov says with a smirk.

"I am disssappointed in you, sssir," Graal says. "I thought you to be a great leader. Perhapsss I was wrong."

"And who would all of you follow, her or me? Was it not I who recommended each of you for promotion? Have I ever given you reason to doubt me? I am telling you now, Xolor is not who he appears to be. He has deceived us," Kardok protests.

Some of the crew whisper among themselves.

"Nonsenssse!" Graal disagrees. "The Massster is going to lead usss into a new age of prosssperity."

"Indeed, and I am fully loyal to Xolor, unlike our captain. All who join me will share in the spoils of the galaxy," Aleksandrov announces.

Most of the bridge crew step forward, showing their allegiance to her.

"Make a record in the ship's log. I am taking command of the _GhIqtal_. By my personal judgment, I see Kardok as unfit for duty," Aleksandrov says, taking a seat in the captain's chair.

"Fools! You will burn in Gre'thor!" Kardok yells.

"And you will be tortured without end in the dungeons of Zenith when I tell Xolor about your little plan."

Maglus grabs Kardok from behind. "I'm sorry, sir."

Kardok scowls at him, then turns back to Aleksandrov. "I am a Klingon warrior. I will fight to my last breath!"

"I'm sure you will. Nen, take us out of warp," Aleksandrov orders. "Xolor is expecting us."

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**A/N: Will Kadohata receive the medical treatment she needs in time? Will Kardok be able to regain control of the ship? Will he discover the secrets his Master is really hiding? ****Find out more at federationlegacy****. wikia. com****.**** Please review!**


	3. Zenith, Part III

**》****ZENITH, PART III《**

_Episode 1x03  
Published: 15 January 2015  
Stardate 56970.25 (July 20, 2380)_

* * *

Captain Kardok stands on the bridge of his ship, the IKS _GhIqtal_, unable to stop what is about to happen. His command was lost to another operative of the Zenith Alliance, a Human named Vana Aleksandrov. He didn't lose in honorable combat, however. He fell prey to a mutiny of the most dishonorable kind.

"We are being hailed, sir," Maglus, the stout Lethean tactical officer informs Aleksandrov.

"On-screen," she responds.

A cloaked figure appears on the other side of the viewscreen. "Welcome, _GhIqtal_. You are cleared for docking," the figure says in a very deep, scratchy voice.

"Understood," Aleksandrov replies. "Nen, take us in."

Nen, the Breen helmsman, complies, docking the _GhIqtal_ with the installation in orbit of Zenith Prime.

"Graal, take command. Maglus, bring him," Aleksandrov says, indicating Kardok.

Graal, the Gorn chief engineer sits in the captain's chair. "Aye, sssir," he responds.

"Let's go get your friend, Picard, and then we will pay Xolor a little visit," Aleksandrov tells Kardok, grinning menacingly.

**...**

Meanwhile, Captain Jean-Luc Picard makes for the brig, intending to free his officers held there. He shoots two guards standing watch over the brig, and enters.

"Captain!" one of the nurses exclaims as she sees him walk in.

"Don't worry. I'm getting you out of here," he responds. He begins typing at the security console.

The force field lowers, and the engineer and two nurses exit the cell.

"Thanks, sir," the nurse says gratefully.

"It's time to leave," Picard says.

"Captain..." the engineer begins, pointing behind Picard.

Picard turns around to see Aleksandrov and Maglus standing in the doorway.

"Captain, captain. Trying to escape are we?" Aleksandrov shakes her head. "What ever are we to do with you?"

"Let them go. They have nothing to do with this."

"You're right, they don't." With that, she guns down one of the nurses, and aims at another.

Maglus puts his hand up. "What are you doing? This is not how we operate."

"You forget, Maglus, I am not a Klingon. I'm not bound by their 'honorable combat regulations'," she mocks.

"They are not regulations! They are principles," Kardok interrupts. "Principles that have kept my people alive and well for centuries."

Aleksandrov hits Kardok with the back of her hand. "You will be quiet. This is not the resurrected Klingon Empire of old, Kardok. It's time you realize that."

"No, of course it's not. This alliance is the very pinnacle of dishonor. I was a fool to join its ranks—a fool to believe the lies that Xolor so deviously tricked me into following."

"No, it's you that is the pinnacle of dishonor. Xolor will unite the galaxy like never before."

"Or destroy it in the process," Picard finishes.

"We'll see." Aleksandrov chuckles. "Maglus, dispose of those two. When you're done, we'll beam down to the planet."

"Aye, captain," Maglus complies.

"If ever there was a time to act, Kardok, it is now," Picard whispers.

"I am open to suggestion, captain," he responds. "Though I do not think you'll be able talk yourself out of this."

"What are her weaknesses?"

"Aleksandrov?" Kardok sighs. "Truthfully, I do not know much about her. She was placed onboard specifically for this mission. I can tell you she suffers from overconfidence and arrogance, like any young, unskilled officer. She was also a member of your Starfleet for a brief time."

"Good, good. That's a start."

"I have...taken care of the prisoners, sir," Maglus says, walking back into the room.

"Well done, Maglus. There's hope for you in the order yet," Aleksandrov says happily. "Now, let's go."

Maglus ushers them out into the corridor.

Aleksandrov grabs Picard by the shoulder. "Don't think for a second that because Xolor wants you alive, I won't kill you. As soon as he gives the word, I'll take great pleasure in giving you a most...unsavory death."

"Duly noted," Picard responds.

They continue walking toward the transporter.

* * *

_"First officer's log, stardate 56970.25. We have been authorized by Admiral Janeway to enter the star system housing a little-known terrorist group reported by Starfleet Intelligence to call themselves the Zenith Alliance. We are, however, to remain at the edge of the system and avoid engaging any vessels until reinforcements arrive."_

"Sir, we're receiving a message over subspace. It's the _Titan_. Captain Riker says they will arrive in the system in thirty minutes," Worf informs Commander Martin Madden.

"Understood," Madden responds.

The tactical console beeps. "Sir, we've received a coded message from within the system. It's from the IKS _GhIqtal_," Worf says surprisedly.

"You think it's the captain again?"

"Unknown."

Madden sighs. "Put it on speakers, Mr. Worf."

"It is a sequence of numbers, sir."

"Can you decipher it?"

"It is in binary, I believe, sir. Running it through the computer now."

"Binary? Why binary?" the conn officer, Lieutenant Joanna Faur, asks.

"Because, if it was intercepted, it would look like a meaningless jumble of ones and zeros," Lieutenant Dina Elfiki, the science officer, responds. "At least, upon first glance."

"On...the...planet..." Worf says slowly, reading the computer's deciphering of the code.

"On the planet?" Madden questions. "There must be something down there of importance. A base maybe?"

"Or perhaps even the creator of this charade," Worf suggests.

"Alright...um...we'll need to send an away team down to the planet, but we'll wait for the _Titan_ to arrive."

"Understood, sir," Worf responds.

**...**

Picard, Kardok, Aleksandrov and Maglus enter a dimly lit room. At the far end of the room, a cloaked figure is sitting on a throne of sorts.

"Come closer," the figure says, beckoning them to him.

Aleksandrov motions Picard and Kardok forward with her head. They walk slowly toward the throne until they are about three meters away from it.

"Jean-Luc Picard..." the figure begins. "What a pleasure it is to meet you."

"Xolor I take it?" Picard asks.

"It is I."

"Where is my crew?" Picard demands.

"Your precious little crew is...alive...for the moment. I must say, captain, you must have a very convincing persona, to deceive Kardok into believing your lies. It is a shame I am now forced to kill him. He was my finest follower."

"Why kill him when he was so craftily deceived by me? You will only be hurting yourself by disposing of a fine officer such as he."

"Indeed, it will be a great loss to our people. However, the Alliance must survive. It will soon be a vast empire ruling your galaxy...forever."

"My lord, it was not my intention to betray you. I ask you to forgive my foolishness and permit me to live," Kardok says, kneeling.

"What a humble servant you are, Kardok." Xolor ponders for a moment. "Very well, but I'm afraid I cannot give you back your starship, until you have again proven yourself."

"What? You're just going to forgive and forget?" Aleksandrov complains. "He must die for his insolence!"

"Silence, young one. Neither of you will die...today."

"And what about Picard? At least give me the pleasure of making his death slow and painful."

"No, I want him alive. There is so much I wish to learn about his culture. It will be most beneficial once his planet is under our control."

"Really? Because I thought you planned to eradicate the Federation with the red matter device you parade on your flagship," Picard retorts.

"It seems you have the wrong idea about me, captain. I do not wish to commit mass genocide against any race. I wish only to rule."

"And what if the powers of the galaxy do not wish to be ruled?" Picard inquires. "What if they fight back?"

"That would prove to be most...unfortunate...for them."

"If you believe the powers of the galaxy will calmly lay down their arms..."

"Enough. I wish to speak to you alone, captain. I want to talk about your potential place in our empire."

Kardok, Maglus and Aleksandrov leave the room.

**...**

"The _Titan_ and _Voyager_ are entering the system, captain," Worf reports.

"Hail them both, dual screen," Madden replies.

Worf complies, and Captains William Riker and Chakotay appear on the viewscreen.

"Welcome to the unknown, captains," Madden says.

"Hello, commander," Riker says, smiling. "How's the _Enterprise_ doing without me?"

"I'm sure it's been better, sir. How much did Admiral Janeway tell you?"

"Everything you told her, plus what she was able to obtain from Starfleet Intelligence. We know a terrorist organization is using the planet as a base, and that Captain Picard and several other senior officers were abducted by a Klingon captain," Chakotay replies.

"Well, there's a little bit more. We've, um...we've been running scans of the system. There are very few ships here at the moment, but the Zenith fleet could be dispersed throughout the sector to make it look like nothing more than a minor military base."

"You alright, commander? You seem a little bit shaky," Riker questions concernedly.

"I'm fine, sir...it's just...this assignment is a bit more involved than my last."

Riker grins. "I know what you mean. Serving on the _Enterprise_ comes with its fair share of surprises."

"How shall we proceed, commander? Since you know the most about this group, it seems best that you take the lead in this mission," Chakotay suggests.

"I recommend an away team—a small one—be sent to the planet's surface."

"Understood. I think two members from each ship would suffice."

"Agreed."

"See you then," Riker says, closing the channel on his end.

Chakotay nods and closes his channel as well.

"I guess I'll go," Madden volunteers.

"No, sir. If Captain Picard has been injured or killed, it will be up to you to lead the crew to safety. I will go," Worf responds.

"I'll go with you," Elfiki adds.

"Alright. Be careful," Madden tells them.

"Don't worry, sir. We'll get them back." Elfiki smiles.

* * *

Aleksandrov and Maglus return to the _GhIqtal_, and enter the bridge.

"Welcome back, sssir. I trussst your ssstay on Zenith wasss beneficial?" Graal asks.

She only gives him a glare. "I want to know which of you are fully loyal to me, and which of you still hold ties to that scum, Kardok."

"We are all loyal to you, captain," Dagan says.

"Are you, Dagan? I gave you a simple task—kill Picard—and you couldn't even handle that." She takes notice of Nen, who is working at the communications console. "Nen, that isn't your station. What are you doing?"

He turns around slowly. "There was a malfunction in the primary flow regulator. I was making sure none of the other systems were affected."

"And what have you found?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, captain."

"One last question, Nen. Do I have your loyalty as well?"

"Of course, sir." He nods.

"Good. Return to your station." She eyes him suspiciously for a moment, then turns her attention back to Dagan. "As I was saying...you failed me once. Do not fail me again."

"Sir, Xolor wishes for Picard to remain alive. Are we not to follow his orders? He is, after all, the leader of the Alliance. It would be foolish to disobey him," Maglus says, offering his opinion.

"Xolor's judgment seems to be clouded, just like Kardok's. Am I the only one who can see clearly the vision Xolor originally had for the galaxy? We cannot control so vast an empire if usurpers like Picard—or Kardok—are left alive. The galaxy must be cleansed, starting with the destruction of the United Federation of Planets."

**...**

Maglus enters his cabin, having gone off-duty. He sits at his computer to review the ship logs for the day. One log appears to have been placed in his computer by an unknown person, for his ears only. He clicks the button to play it.

Kardok's voice begins speaking. "Hello Maglus. This may be the last message I am able to record. I wished to tell you in person, but Xolor has eyes and ears everywhere. He does not have the best interests of the Empire in mind. I have been deceived; we both have. Nen is already helping us. I have told him to send coded messages to the _Enterprise_ under the guise of conducting repairs on various ship systems. You suspected me of disobeying Xolor's commands already, and you are correct. I once thought he was the one to lead our people back to greatness, but I was wrong. Please, heed my warning. Do not trust any of the crew. Qapla'!"

Maglus ponders the situation for a moment. He then rises and leaves his quarters.

**...**

Geordi La Forge enters a cargo bay on the _GhIqtal_, where Beverly Crusher is still treating Miranda Kadohata.

"How's she doing, doctor?" he asks.

"Better, though I wish we were on the _Enterprise_. These instruments are just barely passible for medical equipment," Crusher responds.

"Have you heard from the captain?" Kadohata inquires of La Forge.

"No, not since he was taken down to the planet. I've been lucky not to get caught by any of the guards yet. We have to get out of here as soon as possible."

"What about the captain? We can't leave him at the mercy of Kardok and that master of his..." Crusher begins.

"I don't see we have a choice. There's no way we'll be able to access any sensitive areas on this ship...we'd die trying. Our only hope is to beam over to the station we're docked with. Maybe we can get a message out to the _Enterprise_."

Suddenly, they hear the cargo bay door open.

"Get down!" La Forge says in a loud whisper.

A pair of boots can be heard walking closer, closer. They stop about a meter from the large crate they are hiding behind. The crate is pushed away, revealing Maglus, who is standing behind it. He grabs La Forge by the collar and pulls him to his feet.

"It's time for you to leave," he growls.

"Where are we going?" Kadohata asks.

"You must go to the planet. Rescue your captain, and then leave." He hands them their phasers and tricorders.

"I-I don't understand...why are you helping us?"

"I see now that the captain was telling the truth. There is more going on here than just the creation of a new empire, or the reformation of the old ones. Xolor wishes to dominate everything; Aleksandrov wants to 'cleanse' the galaxy of those who oppose her. The longer you stay onboard this vessel, the more danger you will be in."

"What about you?" Crusher asks concernedly.

"I am still a warrior of the Empire, despite having stumbled from the path. Today, I will regain my honor. Now, go."

The trio steps onto the cargo transporter, and Maglus transports them inside the compound on the surface of Zenith Prime.

**...**

Aleksandrov yawns. "I'll be in my quarters, planning our next move. Graal, you have the bridge."

"Understood, sssir."

He takes a seat in the captain's chair. Just a moment after Aleksandrov leaves the bridge, Maglus enters.

"Sssir, I thought you were off-duty," Graal asks, a hint of suspicion in his voice. He moves from the captain's chair and returns to the engineering station.

"Nen, I think that plasma flow regulator is acting up again," Maglus says, paying no mind to Graal.

Nen stands, understanding what he means. "I'll check it, sir." He walks over to the currently unmanned station, checking it for malfunction.

Graal eyes them both curiously, but says nothing. Nen sends another encrypted message to the _Enterprise_, then returns to the helm, subtly nodding to Maglus.

"Orders, sir?" Dagan asks pretentiously.

Maglus glares at him. "Continue with your assigned tasks, Mr. Dagan."

"Aye, sir."

Maglus stares into the viewscreen, carefully pondering his next course of action.

* * *

The combined away team of Worf and Elfiki from the _Enterprise_, Riker and Wesley Crusher from the _Titan_ and Chakotay and Harry Kim from _Voyager_ materialize on the planet's surface.

"Brrr...it's cold here," Kim remarks, rubbing his hands together.

"It is an L class planet, lieutenant," Chakotay responds, smiling. "Not exactly an ideal place to live, but very strategic if you're hiding a military base."

"Captain," Worf says, approaching Riker.

"Hello, Mr. Worf. It's good to see you again so soon," Riker replies.

"You as well, sir."

"I'm sure you already know this young officer," Riker says, indicating Lieutenant Crusher.

"Indeed. Congratulations on the promotion, Wesley."

"Thanks, sir," Crusher replies.

Elfiki takes a large PADD out of her backpack. "Now, the _Enterprise_ received a floor plan of the installation on the planet. It appears that the entrance to said installation is within twenty meters of here."

"Good. Let's spread out and search for it," Riker replies.

The team fans out, combing the area with their tricorders. After a moment, Kim's tricorder begins picking up something.

"Over here!" he calls to the others.

They approach him.

"I think I've found it."

"Well done, Mr. Kim," Chakotay congratulates him.

Chakotay wipes the snow off the door and tries to open it with his hands. He is unable to, and Worf lends a hand. Together, they manage to force it open.

"Set phasers to heavy stun. We have no idea what we'll find in here," Riker tells the team.

**...**

Xolor and Picard are dining in a hall in the compound. Picard eyes the room, looking for anything he could possibly use to escape.

"How much do you know about the Kelvan species, captain?" Xolor asks.

"They are from the Andromeda Galaxy. A group of their people crossed the galactic barrier of this galaxy in 2268. They attempted to commandeer the _Enterprise_ and take it back to their homeworld."

"Somewhat accurate. However, your description of us is quite lackluster. You failed to mention our valiant quest to conquer your galaxy."

"A quest that, fortunately, has never come to fruition."

Xolor chuckles. "Unlike Rojan and his followers, I am unsatisfied having a simple peace accord with your Federation. It is obvious upon observation of your galaxy that it is in chaos, and needs a single leader to unite it—me."

"You must face reality, Xolor. There are many species of this galaxy who will fight you to their last, if they feel threatened. The Borg, the Dominion, the Klingons, the Federation. While I wish for a lasting peace throughout the galaxy, no one man can hold that much power in his hands. It is the very definition of autocracy."

"It's a pity. I'd hoped you of all people would understand my position. I have heard of the open-mindness of Humans, but it appears I was wrong. In the end, though, your people will learn to serve us."

Xolor stands and walks out of the dining hall, beckoning Picard to follow. They enter a much smaller chamber, and Xolor seals the door behind them.

"Perhaps you're wondering how I got here, when it would take one of our ships almost three centuries to reach your galaxy?"

"The thought had occurred to me."

"I was on a survey of a system in my galaxy when I happened upon a portal that brought me to a star system near this one. I did not realize what had happened until I noticed I was no longer in the same system. My star charts told me that I had traveled many thousands of light years, and after some investigation, I found that I was now in this galaxy. My ship's scanners picked up a much smaller portal on this planet, and so I decided to investigate. I discovered that I could return to Andromeda and tell my people of what I'd found—a gateway. Our scientists believe it to be Iconian in origin."

"Iconian? Did their influence reach so far away?" Picard wonders.

"Once, very long ago. My people had dealings with them before their empire collapsed. After studying the portal in Andromeda, our scientists managed to construct a device to allow a two-way journey. With this gateway, I can have a fleet of ships in this system in a matter of minutes."

"Then why do you need this alliance you've created?"

Xolor seems surprised. "Captain, a king needs the loyalty of his subjects. Otherwise, his empire will crumble beneath him."

"Your quest may seem noble, but it is misguided. Your overt obsession of ruling without opposition will lead to your own ruin."

"I'm sorry you see it that way, captain. It seems you have no place in my empire. I had hoped you would be the champion of your people and lead them to see the true path, as Kardok will for his people one day."

"Your faith in him is unprecedented, Xolor. What is it you see in him?"

"His outstanding loyalty. Even when he fails me, which he rarely does, he knows his place and freely admits it. He will have a place of honor at my side. Now, I think it's time for you to think about what I've told you. Choose your side carefully, Picard. I've given you a generous amount of time to decide, but I will not wait forever. You are either with us, or you are among the casualties of war."

"I have already made up my mind," Picard states plainly.

"Guard, escort the captain to his quarters!" Xolor calls to the guard outside the chamber.

The guard leads Picard out of the chamber. Xolor stares after them.

* * *

The away team enters the compound, phasers at the ready. Elfiki scans the area.

"Narrow the scanning frequency to only detect Human lifesigns," Chakotay tells her.

"I'm picking up...one lifesign about thirty meters from here, and at least eight more in other areas of the compound."

"Let's go. Stay vigilant," Riker says, leading the way.

Two Zenith operatives notice them, and converge on their location.

"Starfleet! Tell the others we have company," one of them tells the other.

Worf quickly shoots the one trying to contact reinforcements. Riker takes out the other. Kim and Crusher drag them into a supply closet.

"That was too close," Elfiki says worriedly. Her tricorder beeps. "The lifesign is in here, sir," she says, pointing to a door in front of them.

Chakotay and Worf enter the room first, phasers raised.

"Captain!" Worf exclaims, happy to find Captain Picard.

"Mr. Worf, it's good to see you," Picard replies.

"Captain, glad to see you're alright," Riker says, relieved.

Picard stands and shakes Riker's hand. "Good to see you again, Number One. Before we leave, we have to find Kardok. He should still be on the planet."

"Sir, we don't have time. We must go, now," Worf says anxiously.

Just then, Kadohata, La Forge and Dr. Crusher, accompanied by Kardok, arrive at their location.

"We need to leave, now," Kadohata says in an urgent tone. "There's a group of Klingons and Cardassians on our tail."

"Kardok, you and I must get onto your ship, the _GhIqtal_," Picard tells him.

"Why? I have no wish to go back there," Kardok questions.

"I have a plan to end this. We must use the red matter device to destroy the fleet."

"And the entire star system in the process...yes, I believe it will work, captain."

"Whoa, whoa, red matter? What's that?" Kim inquires.

"It's an..." Picard begins.

"An experimental substance derived from decalithium. A single drop is adequate to collapse a star or destroy a planet. If we can gain control of the _GhIqtal_, we can detonate the red matter in this system's star. We will have to have a quick escape plan, otherwise, we, along with everything in this system will momentarily be pulled into the ensuing black hole."

"You knew about this substance, captain?" Chakotay asks.

"Not until Kardok showed it to me."

"A machination created by Xolor?" Riker suggests.

"No, actually it was developed by your Vulcan Science Academy," Kardok answers. "Come, we cannot afford to waste anymore time."

The members of all three crews stare after Kardok in confusion, unbelieving at the thought of the Vulcans crafting such a powerful weapon.

"I don't care how well you think you know him, captain. I don't trust him at all," Riker whispers to Picard. "Be careful."

Each of the teams return to their respective ships.

**...**

Kardok and Picard enter a transporter room on Zenith, and transport to the orbital installation.

"How do we get to the _GhIqtal_?" Picard asks.

"They appear to be cloaked, but if we can get them to decloak, we can transport directly to the firing chamber," Kardok responds, typing at a console. "This is Kardok calling the _GhIqtal_. Please respond."

A few moments of nothing ensue.

"This is Maglus. What can I do for you, captain?" Maglus responds.

"Maglus, who is on the bridge with you?"

"Dagan, Graal and Nen."

"Dagan can't be trusted, Kardok," Picard whispers.

Kardok sighs and lowers his voice. "We need to transport directly to the firing chamber. Take the ship to a range of five hundred kellicams from the star and hold there."

"Understood. Beaming you over now." Maglus closes the channel, and they dematerialize.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dagan exclaims. "If Aleksandrov finds out what you just did..."

Nen and Graal both draw their disruptors, and point them at one another.

"Enough, all of you! Kardok is doing the right thing. Xolor's plans are much more extensive than what he revealed to us, and Aleksandrov's are even more extreme. We must buy the captain some time. Seal the door to the bridge. No one enters or leaves," Maglus orders.

"Understood, sir," Nen complies, sealing the door.

Graal lowers his disruptor. Dagan mutters something to himself, but he returns to his seat.

"Hail the _Enterprise_," Maglus tells Graal.

"Sir, the _GhIqtal_ is hailing us," Worf reports.

"On-screen," Madden responds.

"_Enterprise_, we are heading toward the star. We will need you to watch our backs. The vessels still loyal to Xolor will no doubt try to chase us down," Maglus says.

"Very well. _Titan_ and _Voyager_ will also assist you."

"Good. _GhIqtal_ out."

Worf's console beeps. "Enemy signatures approaching, sir. Bearing zero-zero-two-eight, mark four."

"Lock weapons and prepare to engage them. Send a message to _Voyager_ and _Titan_, tell them to follow our lead."

"Weapons locked. The message has been sent."

The first Zenith vessel, a Gorn frigate, opens fire on the _Enterprise_. A second vessel, of Andorian make, engages the _Titan_. Three more vessels approach the small convoy and open fire. Meanwhile, the _GhIqtal_ approaches the star.

"Nen, range?" Maglus inquires.

"Four thousand kellicams," Nen replies. "Three thousand..."

The ship shakes as it sustains a hit. It shakes again, and yet again. A panel explodes, narrowly missing Dagan's head.

"...two thousand kellicams!" Nen continues.

_Voyager_ sustains a hit to its warp nacelle.

"Sir, warp drive is offline! Shields are weakening!" Lieutenant Kim shouts over the red alert klaxon.

"Bring us about!" Chakotay replies.

_Voyager_ comes around to face its opponent, a Cardassian Galor-class.

"Target their main weapons array!"

Kim fires a round of torpedoes at the Cardassian vessel, disabling their forward phaser banks.

"Nice hit, Harry!" Tom Paris, _Voyager_'s first officer, congratulates.

A Breen vessel continues pursuing the _GhIqtal_, the _Enterprise_ hot on its tail.

"Mr. Worf...target the vessel attacking the _GhIqtal_ and fire," Madden orders.

"Understood, sir," Worf responds, targeting the vessel. "Firing phasers."

The attacking vessel is destroyed, leaving several more still in the system. The _GhIqtal_ slows to a stop in front of the star.

"Five hundred kellicams, sir," Nen says, turning around to face Maglus.

Maglus opens the ship comm. "Captain, this is Maglus. We are in position. Fire the weapon as soon as you're ready."

"Understood," Kardok responds. He turns to Picard. "Ready?"

"Well, considering I've never fired a weapon like this, I suppose..."

Kardok grins. "Neither have I."

Picard taps his combadge. "Picard to Madden, prepare a mass-transport of all crew on the _GhIqtal_. We'll need to leave at a moment's notice."

"We're ready when you are, sir," Madden responds.

Picard signals Kardok to fire the weapon.

"Firing in three, two, one..." Kardok presses the ignition button.

The _GhIqtal_ fires a small burst of red matter at the star, causing an almost immediate destabilization of its photosphere. A black hole quickly begins forming inside the star. The _Enterprise_ makes a sweeping pass over the _GhIqtal_, using its cargo transporters to beam out everyone at once.

"All members of the _GhIqtal_'s crew are accounted for, sir, except one..." Kadohata reports. "A Human woman named Vana Aleksandrov. There was an odd reading right before the beam out, but I couldn't get a reading of it."

"Understood," Madden replies. "Mr. Worf, take us into warp."

The _Enterprise_ warps to a safe distance, _Titan_ and _Voyager_ already waiting for it. The star, and all planets in the system fade into the black hole, crumbling into a million pieces.

"My God," Faur muses. "Just think if they had used this thing on Earth, or any other major planet in the quadrant."

"It would certainly be a persuasive tool to maintain order," Worf adds.

Madden nods. "Take us away from the system, lieutenant. Warp five."

The three vessels enter warp together.

* * *

Following the battle, Kardok remains onboard the _Enterprise_, to be dropped off at a Federation starbase. He enters Picard's ready room.

"Captain, you wished to see me?" he asks.

"Yes. We've received word from Qo'noS...you've been banished."

Kardok hangs his head. "I knew what the consequences of my actions would be. I only hope that someday I can reclaim my honor."

"As far as I'm concerned, Kardok, a part of that honor was restored today," Picard responds.

Kardok smiles. "Thank you captain. Perhaps we will meet again." Kardok turns to leave.

"Kardok?"

"Yes, captain?"

"The next time an alien promises to help you restore the greatness of your people..."

"I will kill him where he stands. The only ones who can help our people is us." Kardok nods, then leaves.

Picard stares after him with a half-smile.

**...**

Life on the _Enterprise_ finally begins to return to normal, and old friends are forced to part ways.

"How the hell did you manage to get away from the Neutral Zone, Will?" Picard asks Riker.

"It wasn't easy, but Admiral Janeway managed to pull a few strings. Deanna stayed behind on Romulus to continue the peace talks. We've got to get back, though."

"Goodbye, old friend. Good luck."

"Goodbye, sir." Riker walks toward the turbolift. "Kardok," he says, nodding at Kardok.

"Captain," Kardok replies. "I am pleased the Federation did not chose to prosecute me."

"Well, considering you saved the galaxy from a devious alien..."

Kardok chuckles. Riker waves to everyone, then makes his exit.

"Where will you go?" Crusher asks Kardok.

"I do not know," Kardok replies. "I suppose I will have to start at the bottom, and work my way back up to a place of honor."

"Kardok, you have shown yourself to be an honorable warrior, despite the dishonor you previously held. I too know what it is like to be an outcast," Worf says.

Kardok nods. "It will be difficult, but with time, I will find my way, and perhaps be allowed to return to the homeworld."

Picard extends a hand, to which Kardok shakes. "Good luck to you, Kardok. Wherever you go, I wish you all the best."

"Thank you, captain. I once tried to follow in the path of my father, but I see now that was a mistake. Perhaps I should be more like you, Picard." He chuckles.

Picard smiles. "If you'll excuse me, I have to report to Admiral Janeway."

Picard enters his ready room and sits down. He activates his computer, and contacts Admiral Janeway.

"Jean-Luc! It's great to see you. Chakotay tells me the mission was a smashing success," Janeway says, upon seeing Picard's face on the screen.

"Indeed it was, admiral. This business with the Vulcans developing an experimental substance that can collapse entire stars disturbs me, though."

"It disturbs me as well, and I intend to investigate it further. Well, until next time. Janeway out."

Picard leans back in his chair and closes his eyes.

_"Space...the final frontier. These are the remaining voyages of the USS Enterprise under the command of Jean-Luc Picard. Its continuing mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before."_

* * *

**A/N: Xolor has been defeated, and his empire has collapsed. What is in store for the Federation next? Is the threat to the galaxy ****over, or has it only just begun? ****Find out more about the story at federationlegacy****. wikia. com****.**** Please review!**


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